


Contemplations on a Portrait of a Lady

by greerwatson



Category: Forever Knight
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-04
Updated: 2014-12-04
Packaged: 2018-05-21 15:07:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6056118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greerwatson/pseuds/greerwatson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A marriage rhyme for vampires.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Contemplations on a Portrait of a Lady

**Author's Note:**

> At the end of "Partners of the Month", Nick gives Leonardo's portrait of Janette to her. This story clearly takes place some time earlier.

_**Something old….** _

Janette opened the door to the display cabinet and looked again, after centuries, at the portrait that Leonardo had painted of herself.  She felt a pang of regret that Nicolas had insisted so strongly on taking it when they had parted.  On the other hand, he must have taken pains to keep it safe all these years through his travels and troubles.  It obviously mattered to him.  ( _She_ mattered to him.)

 

**_Something new…._ **

Hung round her neck, the strand of rubies glittered in their gold.  Nicolas was no longer as generous as he had once been, besotted as he now was with his successive string of mortals; but she had her own fortune.  It had bought her the Raven, bought fashion and jewels, bought the finest of vintages. 

It could not, admittedly, buy her everything.

She glanced over at Nicolas, who stood by his fancy fireplace, hand on the mantel, staring down into the flames.

 

**_Something borrowed…._ **

Or flat-out stolen, if it was blood.  As it so often was, even for Nicolas, which was why he was brooding again.  Yes, brooding—even though, in the end, he had _not_ bitten the man but brought him in to face mortal justice.

He had been tempted ( _mon Dieu!_ merely tempted!) and now he sulked.

 

**_Something blue._ **

And _that_ would be Nicolas!

 

_“Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.”_

A marriage rhyme, no more.  But yes, if one were a vampire, one married:  married the past, the present, and the future, all in one package.  If only he would come to accept that.

She closed the cabinet doors on her portrait, and came briskly to his side with a smile on her lips.

“Come, Nicolas,” she chided.  “It will all be the same in a hundred years.”

And on _her_ lips, it was more than mere platitude.

**Author's Note:**

> “Contemplations on a Portrait of a Lady” was originally posted to FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU on 4 December 2014.


End file.
